James Lawrence aka The Iron Cowboy
I watched “Iron Cowboy” the other day. For those of you not in the know, this is a documentary about James Lawrence and his attempt at a 50/50/50 which was to complete the equivalent of 50 Ironman triathlons, in 50 states in 50 days. 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, topped off with a 26.2 mile marathon, every single day, for 50 straight … [Read more...] about Is Your Business Made of Iron or Glass?

Everything I know about business, I learned from Mike Mulligan
Mike ran a small excavating business, many years ago in a big city (I don’t exactly remember which one) and then ended his career in the town of Popperville. He interacted with countless customers and worked alongside other contractors, where he was on sites that varied from residential houses, to large … [Read more...] about Everything I Know About Business, I Learned From Mike Mulligan

Dishington Construction circa 2004
What type of contractor should you hire for your next remodeling project? This may not be a question that you even thought needed to be asked, but believe me, it does. Remodeling contractors come in many shapes and styles and unless you know what they are, you will be rolling the dice on who you end up with and ultimately the quality of … [Read more...] about Chuck & His Truck

I’ve always wanted to sail the 7 seas. I used to watch Pippi Longstocking and Swiss Family Robinson shows as a kid and imagined life on some distant South Pacific island. Then when I was 20, I found the book Dove, in some second hand book store in South Carolina. Dove, is the real life story of Robin Grahams' journey of sailing around the world at age 16. To this day, that is … [Read more...] about Pirates of The Home Depot

Success obtained on an easy road will not last and will not bring fulfillment.
I recently attended a weekend football camp in Orlando with my 16 year old son put on by @NFA Quarterback Camps. We attended in Boston last year, where I learned that the camp is much more than just the fundamentals of football. The leadership make it very clear that their values center around the … [Read more...] about Suffering Before Success

Being a homeowner today and needing a contractor for any type of job, for lack of a better word, sucks. The cost of remodeling today is sky high and the pool of quality contractors available to perform the work you need is drying up daily. I feel sorry for anyone that has to cast their net into this deep blue ocean of tradespeople and see what type of catch they pull in. Unless … [Read more...] about 12 Red Flags to Spot a Bad Contractor

If you are anything like me, you probably started your own contracting business because you didn’t want to work for someone else. You wanted the autonomy to control your days and make all the decisions. In other words, you wanted freedom. The irony however, is that self employment and freedom are sometimes worlds apart.
Although you are free in how you choose to handle the … [Read more...] about Run Your Contracting Business on Process, Not Feelings.

Why are you in business? Regardless of whether you hate your job and drag your ass to work or jump out of bed at 4:30 every morning like it’s Christmas, your goal at the end of the day, is to make money. Yet most contractors stink when it comes to all matters pertaining to capital. We can’t estimate, budget, save, job cost, pay taxes, pay vendors, pay subs or pay ourselves with … [Read more...] about A Successful Contracting Business Starts With Understanding Overhead

If you are considering a home remodeling project, whether a large addition or a small bathroom remodel, the cost is probably your biggest deterrent from actual getting started. The cost of renovating your home has never been more expensive and the short supply and high demand for skilled workers in the building trades has been the biggest factor. As the availability of skilled … [Read more...] about 10 Ways to Save You Money on Your Next Remodeling Project

I've been married for almost as long as I’ve been a contractor and like both endeavors they have their ups and downs and require constant work and adjustment in order to keep them running smoothly. I Recently came across an article titled 40 Things Husbands Should Stop Doing. The list was eye opening and humbling as I reflected upon my role as husband and how many things on … [Read more...] about 15 Things Contractors Should Stop Doing

My friend Andrew wants to build a passive income stream. He's read countless books, attended seminars on how to create unlimited wealth and he has even tried following the false prophets of prosperity who either offer life on a tropical beach for only 4 hours of work per week or promise, you too can flip houses in your spare time. Yet, something was still holding him back from … [Read more...] about Write Your own Passive Income Story

One recent morning I emailed a trade partner of mine and asked if he had a moment to talk about an upcoming project. He runs a small plumbing shop and does a nice little business with several employees. I hadn't heard back from him by the afternoon, so I sent him a text asking if he had a minute to chat. He texted back several hours later with, “I'm afraid not, call me … [Read more...] about Don’t be that Guy

If you are a contractor or in the building trades and you don’t own investment property, you’re an idiot. Working inside and out of buildings every day as your primary job, regardless of your particular trade gives you a distinct advantage over the average real estate investor and if you are not leveraging this advantage then you are missing out. Your ability to work with your … [Read more...] about The Contractor’s Advantage with Investment Real Estate